


Bright Star

by Mad_Merry, TheFallenAreNotOurFriends



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Depression, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sambriel, Torture, crowstiel, sam/ruby - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-03 06:03:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4089751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mad_Merry/pseuds/Mad_Merry, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFallenAreNotOurFriends/pseuds/TheFallenAreNotOurFriends
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean finds that he isn't the only one with underlying problems. After time with Crowley, Dean finds Castiel broken and unable to cope with almost everything. Dean has to pick up what is left of the fallen angel and piece him together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for spending the time to read this work. The story is still a work in progress and seeing as /I will be in boot camp and training for the next 28 weeks chapter updates will be slow and spaded out. Please be patient with me.
> 
> Please do not repost this work anywhere. As this is a long project that I have spent a substantial amount of time on.
> 
> Comments will be read and appreciated by both of us. Leave us some feedback.

        It had been a very long day. A very long, terrible day filled with things that would cause nightmares to most normal people, and of course it all came to a terrible end because an awful day couldn’t possibly end nicely that would be asking too much. Of course for the hunters, or fallen angels, of the world that would be out of the question. Things were never easy. Even after being out of the game for a while.

       It was around midnight by the time Castiel had stumbled up to the old motel where the precious Winchester car was sitting in the dark parking lot leaving nothing to the imagination where the brothers were. If the impala was there Dean was there. A trail of blood followed behind the once pure creature as he finally made it to the door and breathed a heavy, labored sigh of relief at the wood of the faded green door. This meant safety, this meant help. Castiel was finally home all he had to do was knock. The man let go of his heavily bleeding side and rapped on the wood a few couple times before finding himself on the ground in front of the door the world growing blurry around him. After a few tense moments the door opened reveling the eldest of the Winchester brothers.

      Upon seeing the bloodied up angel on his door step dean instantly lunged gripping the angel tightly and pulled him inside before pulling the door closed before locking it tightly and checking out of the window nervously. Castiel lay on the floor coughing and eventually pushing himself up just a bit before his arm gave out under him. He groaned hitting the ground again with a soft whimper, only to have Dean rush to his side and prop him up against his chest.

      “What the hell happened to you?” He asked firmly before reaching out cautiously to brush the angel’s blood caked hair out of his face so he could see the bruised cheeks of the once prideful angel. This was bad, very bad. Dean watched Cas awkwardly before fighting the urge to leap up and just go after whoever would dare to do this to the man who would dare even consider doing this to him. There was no guarantee that Dean wouldn’t do that once the man told him how this thing happened.

      “I…” Castiel started closing his eyes for a second before shaking his head lightly. “It was humans.” The man sighed leaning back trying to rest his tired muscles. “I don’t remember exactly who they were. It was dark.” Dean was honestly surprised. After all these years of fighting demons and anything else under the sun… or moon, humans really became the bottom of the food chain on the list of dangerous things that could ever threaten the group. He never expected humans to get the jump on the poor naive angel, but it wasn’t impossible.

     They sat there for a few tense moments, then Dean rose to his feet taking care not to jar the man’s wounds any worse than they were from the journey here. The hunter took careful hold of the others arm hoping that he wasn’t holding any cuts or bruises, then he gently pulled him to his feet. Castiel stumbled a bit leaning most of his weight against the other as he stumbled towards the bathroom. Once inside Dean gently and tentatively let go of him once he was leaning against the sink so he could fetch the first aid kit. At first the angel was completely fine, but he was weak and after a second his knees buckled and the angel hit the ground knocking his head against to the counter as he hit the old, dirty tile of the motel bathroom. Of course this wasn’t a place that the once powerful celestial being would want to be. The filthy tile was enough to make even the demons of the pits of hell cringe. There was no telling what happened on this floor. This situation was just another tack off the list of things.

      The sudden collapse of Castiel and the sickening smack when the angel‘s head hit made Dean flinch visibly and drop to his knees beside the other and gently cup Castiel’s face to see the damage caused by the surprisingly real marble countertop, and for once Dean had occupied a cheap hotel, at least then the shitty wood counter wouldn’t cause so much trouble. A bruise was already blackening on his bloodied and pale face. “Damn Cas.” He cursed softly picking up the wet rag he had just made to clean the wounds so he could see what was happening before actually sitting down to handle the injuries. “You shouldn’t do that man. It hurts.”

     The fallen angel made a face before furrowing his brow. “I did not do that on purpose.” He groaned after a moment. “Why would I?”

      The hunter shook his head. “That wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.” He shook his head gently wiping the dried blood off of his face uncovering some deep cuts on his cheek making him grimace. Those would need stitches to heal properly. “Humans did this to you?” The hunter asked after a few seconds of deafening silence. Castiel nodded just slightly leaning against the counter and letting himself rest as the man worked to clean him up. Every now and again he would hiss or sometimes flinch away from the other as the rag touched the more sensitive bruises or deeper cuts. At least he was safe now, he was safe.

      That statement kept rolling over and repeating over and over and over as Dean cleaned most of his wounds and already bandaged up the smaller injuries so he wouldn’t have to deal with them after stitching up the man. Dean helped Castiel remove his shirt finding most of the serious injuries to be littering his chest and stomach. He hissed and squirmed as dean went to work cleaning the wounds. Once the task was accomplished Dean reached up to grab the kit that still sat on the counter above the pair. He set the metal box in his lap knowing that it held the supplies he needed to finish the job of caring for the angel. This kit had probably seen more injures than a nurse in the ER, and every time the faithful companion provided for the Winchester brothers like the mother that Sam never knew. It was essentially the one thing that saved their bacon more than their knives.

      Castiel watched the hunter warily before eyeing the needle and thread that Dean was preparing for the job. He never had stitches before and was unsure if he really wanted to experience more pain than he was already dealing with.

      “Dean?” His voice quivered a bit as he spoke.

      The voice caught the man’s attentions instantly. If he had something to say it was probably really important. Hazel eyes shifted to stare intently at the angel planning to make this as comfortable as possible for him. Wordlessly he waited for him to continue as he sat fiddling with the string nervously.

      “Getting stitches…” The angel started pausing because of the fear of being mocked by the hunter, but he needed to push forward. “Will it hurt?”

      Honestly this question caught the other off guard. For a moment he raked his brain trying to remember the first time he got stitches. It had to have been when he was at least seven. Honestly by this time both he and Sam didn’t even feel the horrible task. It was a grown immunity he supposed. Some help he was. “Maybe a bit.” He started seeing the look of fear on his face. “I’ve had so many I can’t even feel it anymore. If you want…” He started thinking before he finished the statement. “We can wait until you have some medicine in you.”The injuries weren’t that dire that waiting a few hours to let Castiel rest would be deadly.

      The suggestion was an answer to all the fear he had built up the entire time he was sitting on the floor as the other worked and it showed as the man visibly relaxed in the bathroom. Dean chuckled and rose to his feet before taking the fallen angel’s arm and helping him stand and limp into the main room before laying him on the bed taking care to avoid the main wounds as he pulled up a blanket to cover the now shivering man. After a minute of no change from the angel as he shivered Dean mentally kicked himself and climbed under the covers to offer his body heat to the angel. He curled up behind the other and lay there a little awkwardly as a faint blush grew upon his tanned cheeks.

      Castiel almost instantly copied the involuntary action of the other and chewed his lip as the shivering settled down. Was Dean showing the one thing that the angel always wondered greatly about? Was Dean Winchester in love with him? No. Impossible. Dean was a hunter, a man who sent women into a fluster as he entered the room and took advantage of it. Putting a few beers in him and it got worse, often ending in Dean bringing home a new woman, always manifesting an inkling of jealously in the angel. Even when he was a warrior of the Lord.

      They lay there for several minutes. Which to Dean felt like a century. Then something unexpected happened. Which in the world of the Winchester brothers was very uncommon believe it or not.

      Castiel’s stomach growled.

      Instantly the angel cried out in shock jerking back and slamming against the other in his slight panic. “There is a demon in my abdomen!” He shouted tossing the blanket aside to examine the flesh of his stomach.

      Dean laughed. Hard. So hard that he actually had to force himself to gasp for breath before continuing his laughter. He never expected such a reaction from the angel. Castiel looked alarmed. “Dean! Demons in my abdomen are no laughing matter!” He exclaimed with a firm face clearly disapproving the others flippant nature of his alarm.

      Dean waved off the other as he struggled to gasp for air like a fish out of water. After a minute he finally managed to grab a breath then continued that for a few seconds until his lungs were no longer aching from the laughter. “That’s not a demon.” Dean puffed out chuckling a bit remembering how the angel reacted. “You’re hungry.” He smiled sitting up. “Look lets go get something to eat then we can stitch you up. How does that sound?”

      “Hamburgers sound good.” The angel yawned smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

      “I am not sure if I like being a human.” Castiel mumbled as Dean helped him get a clean shirt on after temporarily bandaging up the fallen angels wounds. Once or twice Dean hesitated as his eyes glued themselves to the large scars on the others back from where his wings were ripped from his back in the fury that caused all of his brothers and sisters to fall. The one thing that proved to Dean that this man was more than just a confused and naive man that sat before him on the edge of the bed. Upon hearing the comment Dean couldn’t help but laugh just a bit. Sure he grew up as a human, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t sympathize with the other.

      “Yeah it has its downsides.” Dean admitted keeping his gaze focused as he attempted to button the faded red plaid shirt on the man’s torso. Thank.... Dean shook his head a bit, he really needed to remove these statements from his vocabulary. God was a touchy subject for the other. Yet another deadbeat dad. It seemed to be a trend with hunters and their companions. “There is also good in it though.”

      The angel seemed confused for a second but he didn’t doubt it. These people lived their lives happily despite the struggle that they face almost every day. He had watched them for centuries never really understanding fully. Even now he was still so clueless about everything. “I am sure it is that way Dean, but I have yet to face the good in being a human.”

      The hunter nodded understanding the others dilemma. “Yeah, but we have time. We can start by getting some food into you.” With that the other rose to his feet pleased with himself for finally getting the shirt on him without screwing up the buttons more than three times. It was harder to do it for someone else than it was then doing it for himself. He looked down at the man on the bed smiling at how the red shirt made his sapphire eyes sparkle. He mentally made a note of that for later use.

      Offering his and to the other before pulling him to his feet letting the man use him as a crutch. Castiel leaned heavily against him not really trusting his own legs to hold him up. Dean reacted by gripping the other’s side tightly and letting the angel put his arm over his shoulder. “Alright feathers let’s get you to the car.” Dean smiled a bit leading the way out the door and into the seat of the impala. “Look at that buddy, front seat privileges, just for you.” Dean smiled making sure he was comfortable before closing the door and jogging around to the other side and hopping into the car and buckling up. Once he was in Dean started the car listening to the purr of the engine for a couple seconds before backing out of the parking lot and onto the road.

      Castiel made himself comfortable and leaned against the chair not really listening to anything going on in or out of the car as he absentmindedly picked at the wounds on his arm. It only took a moment before he hit a really tender spot making pain shoot across his body and a cry of pain leave him. Dean instantly reacted slamming on the breaks thinking something went horribly wrong, which of course was not at all true, at least it wasn’t until Castiel’s head slammed into the dash from the sudden stop and lack of seatbelt.

      A groan left Castiel’s lips as he leaned back against the chair and Dean pulled off the road and put the car in park before leaning over to assess the damage on the man’s head. “Shit. Sorry Cas you startled me.” He apologized gently pushing the other’s hand away from his forehead to see a nasty goose bump forming on the man’s head. “You okay? Did I scramble your brain too bad?” He offered an apologetic smile trying to lighten the mood a bit.

      “Ow.” Was all the angel said as Dean gently brushed the bump with his hand making Cas hiss under the touch. He apologized again before turning back to the wheel and pulling back into the road and towards the diner. By the time they arrived Castiel was dozing in the seat, the day’s events having tired out the poor angel out entirely. No doubt once food was in him Castiel would pass out and sleep for a long period of time, which wouldn’t be a bad thing at all considering everything that he had dealt with.

      Dean parked close to the diner, which wasn’t hard considering it was nearly midnight. Who ate hamburgers and pie at midnight? The Winchesters of course. Well at least Dean did, Sam was always going on about being healthy and sleeping. He was such a good boy. Damn him. Then he got out closing the door behind him before dashing to the other side and opening the door only to catch the angels form as he fell out of the car. “Hey.” Dean smiled a bit gently shaking Castiel once he had gotten him sitting up in the chair. “We’re here.” He smiled a bit at the peaceful face of the sleeping angel. “Wakey Wakey hamburgers and cheap pie.” Dean sing songed a bit as he gently shook the other until blue eyes opened sleepily.

      Castiel jerked a bit before relaxing again. “Did we make it?” He yawned his eyes half lidded as he yawned once again. Dean nodded and helped the angel out of the car and into the diner. Once Dean had them sitting in a booth fairly close to the door the man looked around cautiously before catching the eye of the cook who seemed to be staring them down. The hunter became uneasy and moved to sit beside the other.

      The angel didn’t really notice for he had already laid his head down in his arms on the table with his eyes closed and his breathing even. Dean couldn’t help but smile gently at the sleeping angel. He looked so peaceful despite the nasty cuts and bruises on his face.

      “What can I get you boys?” The waitress walked up popping her gum in between her yellow teeth. She leaned on one leg with an ill look on her makeup caked face. “Coffee? Soup? A pillow for the handsome one?” She popped her gum then smacked on it noisily.

      Dean eyed the woman narrowing his eyes at her. This just made him nervous. The chef already had given him the stank eye and that meant trouble. Normally Dean would have already taken care of it, but with Castiel like this it was a major risk that the hunter wasn’t willing to take. Dean sighed after a second and leaned over to the angel gently shaking him awake once again earning tired groans from the man. “Cas what do want to eat?” He asked the angel who was already drifting back off into sleep.

      “Anything but hamburgers.” He whined softly before closing his eyes again. Dean shook his head with a sigh.

      “I think I’m just going to take him home, poor guy has had a long day.” He mumbled shoving past the woman and grabbing Castiel caring him bridal style to the car and setting him down in the chair and bucking him before moving to his seat and starting the car as fast as possible, pausing only when he saw the waitress staring out the window at them with black eyes. After that Dean swore that he would come back here to clear it out once Castiel was back at the motel.

      So he backed out of the parking lot and flipping around before speeding down the road.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. I way away at basic training! So here we go! Chapter three! Although be prepared because I am going to rename it, and later in the story you will find out why. Until then I think I'm going to have a competition. Whoever can guess why this story is titled as such will win a drabble written by me, with any ship they want. So comment and lets hear your guess! First person to guess is the winner!

Dean carried the sleeping angel inside and lay him onto the bed. Pulling the blanket off the adjacent bed to cover Castiel. Sam wouldn’t mind. Once Castiel appeared comfortable Dean made his way back to the car, locking the door to the motel behind him. He got into the Impala and started the car gazing once again at the locked door which stood between the angel and the outside world, and for a half second he worried if that was enough to keep the armies of heaven and hell away. Dean shook the feeling, he was only going to be gone for maybe thirty minutes. Castiel would be okay for that time, he was sure of it.

With that Dean left the motel and sped back to the diner and left the car a good distance away from the restaurant. After drawing his lucky knife he made his way around to the back of the truck to fetch his pistol and machete. Who said that Dean was never prepared? 

The hunter made his way to the dark diner and kicked in the door making the glass shatter across the dainty tile floor. With his gun in hand the man half expected to be attacked from all directions, but when nothing happened Dean stood in the middle of the diner with a confused look upon his features. Surely it couldn't be empty. 

He stood listening for a good minute before he heard a dark laugh coming from behind the counter. Instantly the man turned on his heels to face the noise, gun at the ready. After a tense second a male demon walked out from behind the counter. He was unarmed save for the one knife that stood at the ready in his hand, twirling every few seconds as a sign that he was ready for the battle. 

A cocky grin grew on the hunter's face, mind completely dropping from the curiosity of where the other demons had disappeared. He had one in front of him, and that was enough for him, at least for the moment.   
They circled around the room a couple times broken glass crunching under the thick soles of the boots of the men. Dean bounced the blade in between his hands, then rolling the blade fluidly between his fingers with practiced ease.   
The hunter crouched slightly moving the hand that clutched the knife closer to his face as the circling stopped. He eyed the demon through the dark room waiting for the appropriate moment to strike. The demon looked inexperienced to the hunter's eyes, young and impulsive Dean could see in his stance and the way the knife was held.   
So he decided to tease him. 

Dean leapt forward just slightly not bothering to swing his knife, just waving it threateningly towards the enemy. He had to stifle a laugh when he rebounded hitting the counter. Then that was he lept at the other, and with one quick slash and stab the demon smoked out leaving the battered host on the ground at his feet. 

For a demon liar, that was way too easy. He could have sworn that there was more than this. He had distinctly seeing at least five demons. So where were the others? Dean's mind raced as he tried to think of a reason why they cleared out so quickly. Them being scared of him was scratched first off the list. As were so many other reasons. 

His mind went back to Castiel, sound asleep in the motel room. A fond smile traced his lips at the thought of how peaceful the angel was when he carried him inside from the diner. The poor angel was so worn out from being mugged that Dean was honestly so surprised that Castiel had lasted as long as he did.

Dean froze. Remembering how vulnerable he had left Castiel in the motel. Just behind a locked door. He spun around a sickening feeling in stomach growing as he made his way back to the car. Dean flung himself into the driver's seat and jammed the keys in starting the car easily before peeling out of the parking lot and speeding down the wrong side of the road back to the motel.

It was probably unnatural how fast the hunter arrived back at that run down motel, as he thought Dean began to wish that he had chosen a better place. At least then the angel would be more comfortable. It kinda made him feel sick. He had just left the injured man here, all by himself. How stupid could he be?

Dean sat in the car for a few gut wrenching moments, occasionally hitting the wheel in his frustration. Finally the male climbed out of the black Impala and rushed towards the room that he had reserved just a few hours earlier. The door was kicked in, wood shards littering both the sidewalk and the filthy, bloodstained carpet inside the room, and suddenly Dean Winchester felt sick. His brother was already inside, having returned from his late run.

Sam turned, his ever elongating hair spinning with him in an arc around his head. "Dean!?" He rushed to his older brother's side gently shaking him to hopefully snap him out of the daze that the hunter was now sitting in. "Hey. What's wrong?"  
Dean tensed up almost ready to fight as his brother shook him, but he soon realized that it wasn't a threat. "I-I left him Sam." His voice quivered as he talked. The male stumbled inside to the bed in which the angel once slept peacefully on the mattress. He felt even worse when he saw more blood on the tan sheets. "He was right there and I was stupid enough to think that he would be safe."

Sam carried a blank, and confused expression on his features as his brother spoke. He deduced that someone else was here, given the way his brother reacted Sam also figured it was either Castiel or Bobby. Seeing as Bobby's van wasn't in the parking lot the younger Winchester figured the missing person was Cas. "Why was Cas here Dean? Was he hurt?"

Dean nodded numbly. "He was bleeding everywhere when he came in." He paused gritting his teeth at the memories. "Said he got mugged, saw the car and stumbled in. I cleaned him up and was going to take him for some food because he was hungry, but he fell asleep in the diner. As we were leaving I realized that the diner was full of demons, so I brought Cas back here and was going to clear it out." Dean paused pulling at his hair in frustration. "I got there and there was only a few left... They came back here and took him.... And it's all my fault!" He hit the mattress a few times. "We have to get him back. There is no telling what they will do to him."

Sam nodded processing the tale for a moment before looking at his brother who had already jumped up and was headed back outside. "Woah Dean!" The taller man grabbed the other's arm and pulled him back. "Chill for a moment. We don't even know where they are at the moment. Plus we're going to need some help with this." 

Deep down Dean knew his brother was right, but right now his emotions were in control and he just wanted to save the fallen angel and kick some demon ass for even touching him. Luckily not knowing the location helped quite a bit to calm him. "What's your big plan Samantha?" He asked acid in his tone.

At the old nickname reappearance Sam had to roll his eyes. "Now Im just not going to tell you. I'll just call my contact and leave you out of it." He scoffed pulling out his phone and dialing the number before putting the device to his ear and stepping out. If Dean knew who he was calling he would be pissed, but she was their only hope at finding the demon hideout.


End file.
